Circle expanded USDC supply by $1B in minutes without breaking its dollar peg
Four $250 million mint transactions reportedly lifted newly issued USDC to $1 billion while the stablecoin remained close to $1.
Four $250 million mint transactions reportedly lifted newly issued USDC to $1 billion while the stablecoin remained close to $1. USDC (USDC) is trading at $0.9997. This is an original TLT brief based on reporting by The Cryptonomist, with live market data added, as of Wed, 04 Nov 2026 20:45:02 UTC.
The rapid issuance demonstrates Circle’s ability to expand USDC liquidity at scale, but minted tokens do not necessarily reach circulation immediately. The stablecoin’s peg remained intact during the expansion.
- Four transactions minted $1 billion of USDC in about 10 minutes.
- Each reported mint was worth $250 million.
- USDC traded at $0.999663, close to its $1 peg.
- Verified circulating supply reached $71.29 billion.
- Circle to Reduce Legacy USDC Transfer Limits Starting October 31
- Circle and ACI Pilot USDC Settlement with Colombia's Payment Network
- Circle Advocates for SEC Clarity on Stablecoin Regulation Amid USDC Growth
- Circle Outlines New CCTP Framework for Non-USDC Token Transfers
- Circle's CCTP Burn Limits Phase Out Begins, Impacting USDC Migration
- Circle’s Q3 revenue reaches $865M as USDC activity expands
- Circle expanded USDC supply by $1B in minutes without breaking its dollar peg — this brief
Circle executed four 
USDC mint transactions worth a combined $1 billion in roughly 10 minutes on November 2, 2026, according to The Cryptonomist. Each transaction added 250 million tokens, while USDC continued trading close to its $1 dollar peg throughout the reported expansion.
The report compared the size of the mint transactions with five USDC issuances on 
Solana in October. It also noted an important distinction between token creation and actual market circulation: newly minted USDC does not necessarily enter active use immediately after issuance.
Live data from DeFiLlama places USDC’s verified circulating supply at $71.29 billion. Its reported market capitalization is $70.96 billion, while the token is priced at $0.999663 and is unchanged over 24 hours and seven days, consistent with the report’s description of a stable peg.
The broader crypto market was broadly higher, with total capitalization at $2.74 trillion and 
Bitcoin up 3.05% over 24 hours. Solana traded at $94.50, gaining 1.36% over 24 hours but falling 7.38% over seven days. The Fear & Greed index stood at 34, indicating a Fear reading. The issuance highlights Circle’s capacity to expand USDC supply rapidly while maintaining dollar stability; what remains to observe is how much of the newly minted supply enters circulation and supports market liquidity.
Since this brief published about 2 hours ago, USDC (USDC) has moved from $0.9997 to $0.9997 — +0.00%.
The chart plots USDC's price: grey is the move before this brief published, the vertical dashed line marks the moment it published, the horizontal dashed line is the price then, and the coloured area is the move since — from TLT's market data (daily resolution). It shows what happened after the news, not that the news caused it; many factors move prices. Not financial advice.
At today's peer-to-peer rate, 1 USDC ≈ ₦1,382.06 (about $0.9997), up 0.0% over 24 hours. The naira itself trades about 2.7% above the official rate on the P2P market, so a Nigerian buyer's effective cost differs from the headline dollar price.
Live market data
Current prices for the assets in this story — live, source-stamped, updated every 15 minutes.
Figures and sectors in this story, checked live against on-chain aggregators · November 4, 2026.
TLT reads these figures directly from on-chain aggregators (DeFiLlama, mempool.space) at build time — independent of what any outlet reported. Sector totals aggregate every protocol DeFiLlama tracks in that category. Values are live and will change.
Circle expanded USDC supply by $1B in minutes without breaki — questions & answers
How much USDC did Circle mint in 10 minutes?
Circle reportedly minted $1 billion of USDC through four transactions completed in about 10 minutes.
Did the mint weaken USDC’s dollar peg?
No. USDC was reported at $0.999663, remaining close to $1.
Does minted USDC immediately enter circulation?
No. The Cryptonomist noted that newly minted tokens do not necessarily enter active circulation immediately.
How much is 1 USDC worth in naira today?
About ₦1,382.06 at the live peer-to-peer (P2P) USDT rate, which is what Nigerians typically trade at — equivalent to roughly $0.9997. The naira price moves with both USDC's US-dollar price and the USDT/NGN rate; use our USDC in naira page for any amount.
Which outlets reported this story?
This is an original TLT brief that synthesises reporting from The Cryptonomist. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.
Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original TLT brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.